Harry Potter and the Chaos of Destiny
by Master Solitarius
Summary: A man once told me to embrace my destiny. No matter how many setbacks I suffer, no matter how much pain I had to endure, he told me it was all for the Greater Good. But was that really a proper justification for all the tragedy? I still question that. My name is Harry Potter and I'm the survivor of the Magic War with Voldemort.
1. Chapter 1

The room was small and dark. The smell reminded him a bit of his old room when he was a child, back with the Dursleys. That small cupboard under the stairs. Memories started to flood back about those days. They weren't the best experiences, but he knew things could always be worse. "Mr. Potter!" an angry voice hissed from across the table. A thin man with rather long brown hair stared at him. He couldn't see him too well. After all, there was only one lamp and it was flickering.

"Mr. Potter, I asked you a question!" It was obvious that the man was rather annoyed. "What were you doing with that device?!" Deep inside, he really didn't want to answer, but he was by himself here. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just accept it. "In all chaos there is cosmos, in all disorder a secret order." He looked over at the other side. "Carl Jung." The man didn't respond, merely waiting for Harry to continue.

"Thought so." He mused to himself. "Would you like me to start from the beginning?" The man nodded sharply. Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself. This was going to take a long time. "Very well. It all started back in 1991. I had been living a rather tough life under the Dursleys, but my world fell apart as another barged in. I discovered that I was a wizard. Can you imagine the shock? As far as I knew, I had no real future."

He leaned back, hearing the chair creak. "A man named Hagrid took me away eventually. Told me all sorts of interesting things about my parents. Things that the Dursleys never revealed. I found myself in a new world soon after. Got a beautiful snow white owl, my own wand and so many other things. Truth be told, it felt like a lie, like it would all be taken away within the blink of an eye. And of course, it wasn't. It was real."

"I went to Hogwarts, a school meant to teach young wizards and witches how they could use their powers, integrate into magical society. Basically the same things as your schools, but then for magical people." The man was furiously writing notes down as he paid full attention to every word Harry said. It was kind of unnerving. But he was basically telling him about a rather huge secret that's been hiding under their noses for a long time.

"This… school, Hogwarts?" Harry nodded. "Tell me about your time there. Hold on a second" Th mane stood up and walked to the door after him, shouting at an assistant to bring them some coffee. A few minutes later a young woman nervously entered the room, trying not to look him in the face, but she was scared out of her mind. As she left and closed the door firmly behind her, the man gently pushed one of the cups towards Harry. It seemed that cooperating made him a bit friendlier.

"Please, continue." He insisted. And so Harry did. "In the station of London, there was a magical and hidden gateway to a part where we could gather. A train awaited us there to take us to Hogwarts. I met both a young witch and a wizard on the train there. Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger. You might find that the Grangers are registered on your list. Her parents were mug-, non-magical people" he quickly corrected himself as he took a sip of his coffee.

"We chatted and I guess they were more surprised at my name than at my lack of knowledge of everything. Even at school, we remained close. I can't say we were really friends, but we managed to get along pretty well. That was, until Halloween. I'd like to say that was the start of everything that followed afterwards. Were I a bigger pessimist I'd even call myself a victim of Murphy's Law, but that'd be kind of narcissistic." The man, surprisingly, nodded in agreement.

"But Halloween was a special event for me. I've had nothing but bad experiences, each year again. It'd be enough to drive even me to superstition." He seemed to hesitate a bit on how to tell the next part. Withholding information would be bad, but he wasn't looking forward to remembering it. Yet he had chosen this path., knowing this would come up He had to see it through. "I'm not fond of the next parts, but I promised you the full story. So here it is."

* * *

Professor Flitwick was standing on top of a pile of books, explaining the Wingardium Leviosa spell to the students. As soon as he was done explaining his swish and flick movement, mumbles and whispers filled the room. The students around the class seemed to have a tad of difficulty. Ron was complaining loudly about it as he waved around his staff like a maniac. Hermione quickly stopped him, trying to help. "You're saying it wrong. It's Wingardium Levi-o-sa, not levio-sa."

Harry followed their conversation from a distance. After all, with some luck he might be succeeding himself at making the feather float. He moved his wand around and around. "Wingardium Leviosa…" No response. "Wingardium Leviosa." But he just couldn't move the feather. That's when he saw Hermione successfully using the spell. "Figures" he mumbled to himself, feeling somewhat proud that she succeeded. Though he did feel sorry for Ron a bit.

Seeing Hermione's success, the class quickly put in their effort into making their damn feathers float. After all, nobody liked losing to another, even if they were in the same house. He was confused about one thing though. Despite talking to each other a few times and being in the same House, were they really friends? Ron and Hermione seemed nice enough, but he never had friends before and thus, didn't know whether they were his friends or not.

He'd make sure to ask them the next time they had the chance to sit down. The boy next to him, Seamus Finnigan, was desperately trying to make his feather float, but without success. Harry noticed Professor Flitwick smile as he looked around. He really must've enjoyed his job. That smile quickly turned to a frightened face however as Seamus, miraculously, set fire to his feather. The class ended on that rather bizarre note

* * *

Ron was walking ahead of the group as they moved towards the Great Hall. "It's Levi-o-sa, not Levio-sa" he loudly complained as he kicked a few pebbles along the way. Harry knew that he should stop him, but honestly, he was still thinking about their roles. Were they friends? "She's a nightmare, honestly!" The ginger didn't stop complaining. "No wonder she's got no friends." He looked around and saw Hermione pushing past them, crying. "I think she heard you" he mumbled to Ron.

He did feel rather guilty about it. Maybe he should've stopped Ron. He kept repeating those thoughts as they made their way to the Great Hall.

* * *

The hall was beautifully decorated. Large floating pumpkins covered the ceiling, candles were burning with a passion all around them. He felt himself staring around the table, at all the delicious snacks and types of food. Frankly, he didn't know where to start. Then he saw the empty spot across him and noticed Hermione was missing. "Has anyone seen Hermione?" He asked around, not seeing her anywhere.

"Parvati said she wouldn't get out of the bathroom." Neville answered, looking a bit anxious. "She said she'd been there all afternoon, crying." He felt a bit bad about it. Ron did say some pretty mean things behind her back. But if they were friends, those things wouldn't be said. So that only meant they weren't friends at all, just a bunch of kids that got along. He looked towards Ron, hoping to find some sort of response, but the boy merely shrugged and continued eating.

The doors of the Great Hall flew open as Professor Quirrell stumbled in, yelling. "Troll! Troll in the Dungeon!" he ran forward screaming. "Troll. In the dungeon." The Hall had become completely quiet, focused on Professor Quirrell who stopped right in the middle of the Great Hall. "Thought you ought to know" he said right before passing out, face first into the ground. And with the thud of his fall, the students all started screaming.

Dumbledore quickly took control again. "Silence!" Harry looked at him with a certain amazement. He watched as the aged wizard quickly gave orders to the prefects to lead the students back to their dorms whilst he and the other teachers were going to investigate. He noticed the professors leaving the Hall and quickly followed after Ron and the others. "How'd a troll get in?" he asked Ron.

"I don't know, trolls are really stupid" He shrugged without a care in the world. "Probably just people playing pranks." He doubted that himself, so he went further into the group to ask the prefect himself. The older Weasly calmly looked around until he noticed Harry approaching him. "Harry, if you're going to ask me how a troll got in, I'm sorry, but I'll tell you what I told the others. I don't know and I'm sure the Professors will take care of it."

Percy did radiate a certain amount of security, so he felt at ease. The students started entering the common room again and he heard Percy confirming whether anyone was missing. Then he realised, Hermione was missing. "Ron, Ron" He didn't see him anywhere. "I can't wait" He ran as fast as he could towards the second floor bathroom. In his mind he was kicking himself over. After this was over, he'd apologize and become friends with her.

As he got closer toward the bathroom he smelled something foul. It was, honestly, disgusting and it nearly made him vomit. But he knew that he couldn't do that. Then he heard the loud smashes up ahead and a single scream that made him freeze. "Hermione!" he yelled as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. As he entered the bathroom, he saw the troll in the back and Hermione on the floor, crawling towards him, crying. "Harry, please help me." He flew towards her.

The troll was faster however. He heard a sickening crunch and everything became red.


	2. Chapter 2

"Restrain him, now!" This was wrong, this was all wrong. Why was the boy even there? That troll wasn't supposed to be there, the girl wasn't supposed to be there. How could he have failed as a headmaster this badly? Damn it all! "Severus, go to your dungeon and brew me a strong calming draught. Poppy, keep him restrained, if he breaks free he might hurt himself. Minerva, go check on your students and then contact the Ministry, we'll have to contain this before it gets out of hand."

"Albus, with all due respect." He simply glared at her. She knew there was no reasoning with the man when he was like this. His gaze followed her as she quickly paced out of the hospital wing. Then his eyes fell on the boy again. He was screaming and yelling, arms flailing around, his face still covered with a dark red smear. This was not part of the plan. Alterations had to be made and quickly, but for now, he couldn't leave him alone. A few moments later Snape rushed back in the infirmary with a speed that surprised even him.

"Alright, excellent work Severus. Poppy, apply the draught and make sure he's fully healed. I don't want any visible scars or marks that will leave questions." The matron nodded as she applied the potion. Severus had to keep the boy down as he was still trashing around. "Harry, listen to me, it's all going to be alright, I promise you." He started to calm down slowly until finally, he just lied there, staring at them blankly.

McGonagall rushed back into the infirmary. "Albus, the students are all fine." He nodded, assessing the situation. "We can't let this get out." She looked at him with a mixture of both shock and concern. "You can't mean… all of them Albus?" He gravely nodded as he weighed down the decision against the alternatives. "All of them Minerva." The boy was just lying there, not moving. "I'm so sorry Harry, but this is all for your own good." Harry saw a faint blue light before everything vanished from sight.

* * *

Harry woke up, gasping loudly. He looked around, but he was still in his bed, up in the tower. Carefully climbing out of his bed, he got his clothes and went down to the common room, seeing a bunch of other students there. A heavy depressing atmosphere hung around the tower and it would most likely stay that way for a while. They all marched down to the Great Hall, nobody really saying anything to each other, until they all sat down quietly.

It wasn't just his group, he noticed. All the other tables were quiet as well. He saw Professor Dumbledore standing up with a somber expression on his face. "If I may have your attention, please." The students all looked up to him. "All classes today will be suspended. You are expected to arrive in the midday for the funeral ceremony." The Hall remained quiet, nobody saying so much as a whisper.

* * *

Everyone had gathered in the Great Hall again. The colourful banners were replaced by black banners whilst the professors them dour black clothes. "We are gathered here to pay our final respects to Miss Hermione Granger, a first year student at Gryffindor. As you all know, Miss Granger lost her life trying to cast a very dangerous, and forbidden, spell. This tragedy only serves to remind us that even in our constant hunger for knowledge, we must always beware of the dangers."

He looked around. "Could Miss Granger's friends please step forward? Perhaps they can share some tales with us about her, so that we would remember her fondly rather than through this tragedy." He had a kind aura around him, like a doting grandfather. But even that fell when nobody stepped forward to talk. In fact, Harry noticed, he seemed to be a bit shocked, though he did his best to hide that of course.

"I see." The professor mumbled quietly. Harry was beside himself with anger however. Whilst it was true that he didn't know her, as they've got the chance to talk before, this felt wrong. Not just because nobody would speak, but something else was out of place, somehow. He just couldn't wrap his finger around it. "Harry, is there something you'd like to say?" He looked up and noticed Dumbledore looking at him, with a slight hopeful expression.

He was never good at peer pressure. He knew that Dumbledore had now focuses all attention on him. There would be shock and slander if he refused and so, he moved forward, towards the professors, before turning back to all the other students. His voice felt hoarse as he spoke. "I never got to know Hermione, she-she seems like she was a nice person and I wish I could've gotten to know her." He felt himself at a loss for words. The last year he had already gotten enough attention and now it felt like he was trying to get into the spotlights again, which was actually the opposite of what he wanted.

"I'm sorry professor, I just don't know what else to say." He whispered to Dumbledore, hoping that none of the other students would hear it. "Of course Harry, thank you for making the effort. I'm sure Miss Granger would've appreciated it." He placed a hand on his shoulders before sending him back with a smile. "I'm sure Miss Granger will find a better place now. Let us remember her by becoming the kind of student she always aimed to be. Hard working and diligent! And if anyone ever wants to talk, know that we are always ready to listen and aid."

* * *

The few days after went by as a blur. He didn't know why, but Harry found himself uncomfortable in the presence of Ron, much to the latter's confusion. The constant attention from the professors was distracting as well. It was pretty much a daily routine for a professor to visit him and ask how he felt. Not that he minded the attention too much of course. After all, it meant they were merely concerned for him.

But the thing that frustrated him the most however was that he only now started to show an interest in who that girl was. Only now instead of all the chances he had before. That made him feel guilty. "50 points from Gryffindor for Mr Potter's clear lack of interest in this class." Harry quickly looked up, like a deer caught in the headlights. "I'm sorry sir" That was the about the only reply he could mutter. Snape never seemed to like him much.

The glares he received from his fellow students wasn't helping either. Though that quickly changed when Neville managed to get another 50 points withdrawn for messing up his potion. All in all, life seemed to be the same as usual. After the lesson ended he was about to leave, when Snape called him by name. "Potter, a word." The others gave him a worried look, but weren't about to anger the professor any further by loitering around.

"Yes Professor" he wanted to be polite and not lose points this time. Then he noticed Snape looking around a bit. He turned to Harry with a small amount of kindness in his voice that surprised him. "How have you been feeling?" It wasn't the question that was odd, but rather the person that asked him. "I'm fine Professor, I've just been thinking a lot." Snape carefully raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing professor, it shouldn't be spacing out in class like that. I'm sorry."

"Very well Potter, move along now" he said in his usual cold tone, something that soothed him more than he thought. At least his professor was acting normal again. He didn't wait to overstay either as he hurried on to the Great Hall. Today was his first real Quidditch match and it was against Slytherin. The possibility that his professor might've been trying to distract him for his own team suddenly became a thought that was quite convincing.

He wanted to talk about it with someone, but lately he just didn't feel comfortable talking to Ron anymore. It wasn't that he hated him, but when it came to actually talking he found himself without anything to say. The two would just sit there, saying nothing, until one of them would leave and do something else.

* * *

He was actually standing there, broom in hand, ready to play. Ready to win for Gryffindor. He looked with a large grin at the other members of the team. A short, but powerful speech from the captain and they all rushed unto the field. Today, he was going to win!


	3. Chapter 3

"Again, Albus?" she looked with a concern at the young boy lying on the bed. Despite the security all around the school, this was the second time something horrible happened. If it weren't for the Weasly twins she was sure the boy would've have survived the impact. Albus merely sighed in frustration, softly rubbing his temples. "Albus, listen to me, we can't continue like this. It's quite clear that someone has it out for the young Mr. Potter."

She looked around to gather the support of the other heads of Houses present. It was Snape who spoke up first. "I believe I know who is responsible for this tragedy." She looked straight at him. Anyone who was a threat to her students was her enemy as well. "I believe Professor Quirrell is responsible for this." Pomona gasped as the implication sank in. Dumbledore, however, didn't seem to be shocked. "Your reasons, Severus?" Albus gently asked him.

"During the match, I was busy chanting a spell to try and counter whoever was messing with Harry's broom. However, despite my attempts the attack was successful. It was only then that I looked around and noticed the slight betrayal of satisfaction on his face. As you are aware, Albus, I have been looking into the history of Quirrel for quite a while now. I am certain he is responsible and so we should take the steps to prevent any further attempts."

The headmaster merely nodded in acknowledgement, letting it all sink in. She wasn't too happy about the way Severus and Albus were discussing these things without disclosing any information other than the need-to-know basis. It was still her student and she was responsible for his safety, along with the other students of Gryffindor. "First the tragedy with Miss Granger, now Mr. Potter. Albus, these are my students that are dying. I refuse to let this continue."

She locked eyes with the headmaster. He knew she was always a strict woman, but fierce like a lioness when it were her students on the line. "Severus" he turned to the Potions Master. "I want you to directly report anything you find to me. Pomona, Filius and Minerva, keep an eye on Professor Quirrel. If what Severus says is true, then I fear we might have an enemy inside the school that can prove to be a grave threat indeed."

She realized instantly that he knew far more than he let one, but again with the damn secrets. He wasn't about to tell her a thing until the very last moment when it was too late. Though he'd most likely pride himself knowing it would be "the right moment". She scoffed as she looked back to the young wizard again. This was the second time the boy had to suffer like this. Regardless of Albus' plans, she was going to take steps of her own as well."

* * *

Harry slowly woke up. The last few days had been a bit difficult ever since his accident with the broom. Slytherin had won that match and he more than enough reason know to suspect that Professor Snape had to be involved. After all, if they couldn't catch the golden snitch in time the Slytherin team would win. That was plenty of reason to interfere. He had a lot of time as this Christmas he was going to stay at school. It was better than going back to the Dudleys. Anything was better than going back to the Dudleys.

He made sure he got something for Fred as well. If it wasn't for him he might not have survived the fall. When he fell he saw Fred rushing towards him, grabbing him by his cloak. However, because he was falling so fast he didn't manage to hold on and he still dropped from a good height. Yet he knew that if Fred hadn't broken that initial speed he was going at, things might not have turned out so pretty.

Well, there was no point in overthinking it too much. Accidents did happen after all. With a renewed smile on his face he went down to the common room and saw a few other students loitering around, some reading books whilst others were merely talking. When Oliver saw Harry he immediately rushed over. He carefully asked "Are you alright Harry? You gave us a good scare when you dropped off your broom during the game."

"It's okay, if it wasn't for Fred it could've been far worse." Oliver laughed in response. "Harry, that wasn't Fred. It was George who caught you." He quickly felt his temperature rise in embarrassment. It didn't help when suddenly felt a hand on each shoulder. When he looked around him he saw the two identical twins grinning. "What's this, my dear brother? He doesn't" "even recognize his savior. Truly I'm" "hurt by this."

"I-I'm sorry" he stuttered shocked. The two just laughed, hitting him on the back with a few good pats. "Don't worry, even our mum can't tell us apart." They just moved on, apparently readying themselves to pull some kind of prank on Ron. He really wanted to stay and look, but he was summoned by Professor Dumbledore. He left the Common Room and made his way past the moving stairs, careful not to slip. He's had enough experience with falling so far.

* * *

"Ah Harry, how good to see you my boy." Dumbledore smiled brightly as he crossed paths with Harry along the way to his office. As they walked in Harry sat down and watched as Dumbledore grabbed a bowl and offered him a lemon drop. Politely accepting, he threw the candy in his mouth and was ready for whatever questions the professor had. "Harry, as you know there have been quite a few incidents so far."

He nodded nervously though he didn't know why he was. After all, the professor would only ask him some questions. "Yes Professor, I've seem to run into a bit of bad luck." The professor smiled at the youth's endurance to shrug it off like that, even if only verbally. His eyes twinkled as he looked straight into his eyes. For some reason Harry felt a bit more comfortable, as if all of his problems would just go away.

"However, I recently found something again that your father would've wanted you to have." His eyes started shining at the prospect of getting anything from his parents. "Normally I would've sent the gift to your dorm, but I felt it would be good to make an exception once in a while." He handed a small box which he instantly tore into. Maybe he would've been better off waiting until he got back to his dorm, but he needed this.

The gift inside was a beautiful cloak. "Why don't you try it on?" At Dumbledore's insistence he wrapped the cloak around himself. "Professor, what's happening?" he asked in panic. Dumbledore, unable to contain himself any longer at the look on Harry's face, burst out laughing. "That, my dear boy, seems to be an invisibility cloak. Now, if you turn it inside out." He followed his instructions and saw a normal cloak around him. "This is fantastic. Thank you so much professor!"

* * *

He spent a lot of time outside playing pranks on students. He formed an alliance with the Weasly twins to prank as much as possible. After the last accident he found himself interacting more with these elaborate pranksters. It was late in the evening when he returned that he noticed Snape stalking off somewhere in a hurry. He still had his cloak with him and after looking around to see whether anyone was around, he put it on. Maybe he'd learn whether or not he was responsible for that accident.

He heard a loud thud ahead and went he approached, he saw Snape pushing Professor Quirrel against a wall. "Severus, I … I" the professor stuttered, as usual, when confronted. "You don't want me as your enemy Quirrell" He noticed Snape was rather aggressive. "W-what do you mean?" there was something about the way Quirrel asked that seemed off. "You know perfectly well what I mean" Snape hissed at Quirrel.

He made sure to keep his distance from the professors. He was about to return when he saw Filch walk towards them, his cat loyally following him. Yet he had the suspicion that she could see him, for whatever reason. Now forced to go into a different direction, he followed the dark hallways until he was certain the others couldn't find him. This was bad. If he was caught out here he'd get detention and cost Gryffindor points.

He quickly made his way past several rooms until one just drew in his attention. It was a large empty room with a beautiful mirror across. He looked around again to ensure nobody was near him before he carefully approached the mirror. Then something appeared which surprised him. He saw his parents on the mirror standing at his back. He felt his legs gave way as he just sat down and stared at the mirror.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks _to Accidentally Targaryen,_ for helping to improve the quality and correctness (Like preventing characters behaving too much out of order). With their help, I feel this story could accomplish quite a fair bit. Enjoy reading!  
**

* * *

He was finally with his parents. That was the image he had been seeing for the past few years. It wasn't real, that much was obvious, but it was so mesmerizing. The life that he wished for every month, every year. Daylight started to seep in, but he couldn't pull himself away from that mirror, the object which gave him the illusion of such joy. So when Dumbledore walked up from behind, he didn't even notice until the professor laid his hand on his shoulder.

"Still here, Harry?" He nervously nodded at the smiling professor. "I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised." The professor stared him in the eyes and saw the flicker of despair in the young boy's eyes. "Harry, I hope you realise what this mirror does." He merely shook his head. The thought hadn't really crossed his minds, so busy was he staring at the smiling family.

He felt the hand grip his shoulder and shake it harder this time. "Stop looking at the mirror! Men have wasted away in front of that mirror. What you see is your heart's deepest desire, but you'll never be able to acquire it." He didn't know whether it was the slight hint of panic in Dumbledore's voice or the realization that he would never be with his parents, but he pulled his eyes away from the mirror and looked straight at Dumbledore.

"P-professor, I just noticed, but something smells burned." It was finally at that comment that Dumbledore seemed to lighten up a bit and started to laugh. "It's nothing to worry about, my boy. Hagrid had a little issue with a certain animal and I had to intervene to make sure nothing too bad happened." Hagrid was his first friend and yet, he had never bothered to check up on him. "I'd like to see Hagrid again, sir. He was my first friend."

This time, however, Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Surely you had plenty of friends back with your relatives Harry?" The boy abruptly shook his head. "No sir. If I was at school I was often bullied by my cousin. Whoever tried to approach me was bullied as well. And when I came back home I was set to work immediately." Something in Dumbledore's stare was unnerving. It wasn't really anger, but something akin to frustration.

"Work, Harry?" He nodded this time. "Yes sir. Clean the dishes, mow the garden, basically make sure that everything was working." Dumbledore gently asked. "And what if you didn't do that?" He hesitated a little bit. The home situation wasn't particularly one that he liked talking about. "Harry, please tell me. You can trust me, my boy." He knew he could trust the professor. At least, for some reason he did. The man emitted a radiance of benevolence and kindness.

"They beat me, sir, and sent me to bed without food as punishment. Though they did often beat me already, if only to get the freakiness out of me. They felt that magic was something only freaks could do." When he saw Dumbledore pale this time, he knew that something changed. "I see, so that's why…" he mumbled to himself "Harry, I want you to come with me to visit Madam Pomfrey. I want to see just how bad these punishments were."

* * *

"Albus, how good to see you. Is there anything I can do for you?" She smiled as she saw the headmaster approach, but that smiled quickly turned to concern when saw Harry walk behind him timidly. She had hoped he wouldn't have to return here anytime soon, considering everything that had happened thus far. "Is something wrong with Harry, Albus?" The professor nodded and placed the boy near one of the beds.

"Poppy, I've heard some… disturbing things concerning his relatives. I've already send word to Minerva to get here as soon as possible, but she won't make it until her classes are over." She saw him look concerned to the boy. "From what I've gathered he has suffering abuse and malnutrition his entire life. I'd like to know the extent of the damage." Her gaze hardened as well. "Even without an examination it's already possible to see he suffers from malnutrition. Are you trying to tell you that you hadn't even noticed?"

Her voice became louder than she had intended. Dumbledore looked her straight in the eyes. "I fear that is the truth Poppy. Though it's no excuse, it would seem that in my recent years of constant vigilance I forgot to pay heed to Harry. I should've paid more attention to Arabella Figg's reports as well. But apologizing won't fix anything now. It is imperative that we know just how bad the damage is and what can be done about it.

She sighed. The man made mistakes, but he knew how to take control of a situation quickly. "Alright Albus. Come back in about a half hour and I'll have a report for you." The headmaster nodded and quickly removed himself from the hospital wing. Headmaster or not, in here she ruled and everyone knew that. She returned her attention to Harry this time, with a gentle gleam in her eyes. "Alright Harry, don't worry, you won't notice a thing." She grabbed her wand and started the examination.

* * *

"I told you Albus, I told you these were the worst kind of muggles, didn't I?" Minerva snapped at the headmaster. Not many had the nerve to talk to him like that, but Minerva was one of those few who did and would get away with it. "I know, you are right Minerva, but you must realize I had no choice. The only place that was safe for Harry was somewhere where the blood wards would be active. No matter how cruel she might've been, she took him in. That activated the wards."

"Albus, we made sure he was protected from dark wizards, but not from muggles. His own relatives!" He nodded. No matter the tone in her voice, she was right. "Regardless, he must return there. However, that doesn't mean I won't be able to step in and make some adjustments. If he ever gets attacked by dark wizards, he'll need to protect himself. That wouldn't exactly be possible if his own body couldn't even withstand a few minutes of battle."

Minerva glared at him. She was overly protective of her students, each one equally important. To him, that felt like a weakness that could be exploited by an enemy. He wasn't foolish enough to confront her about it though." Poppy was busy feeding the boy various potions and applying a few charms. Though it'd take some time, she was positive she could reverse the effects of the malnutrition and abuse. The boy would grow up healthy from now on.

Meanwhile, he had to take a little visit to Privet Drive. Regardless of the reasons he had given others, Harry's wellbeing was extremely important to him because of the prophecy. The last thing he'd want was that the boy's condition would deteriorate every summer break again due to neglect and malnutrition. "Poppy, I want you to assemble a special diet for the summer breaks to ensure optimal growth. We need him, like all our students, in peak condition."

Poppy quickly got to work on a surprisingly long list, but that was the exact reason he trusted her with these matters. "Meanwhile I'll be taking a small visit to Privet Drive." He was about to leave the Medical Wing when Minerva tapped his shoulder. "What about the ministry?" The ministry. "That reminds me, Minerva. The Ministry sent a few people to investigate the death of the young Miss Grangers. They are very keen to know exactly how a troll got out and killed one of our students."

Minerva nodded. That was still a sore subject with her as well. "We could've expected this Albus. It's already a miracle it took them this long." He nodded knowingly. "The ministry might be slow at times, but when they start moving… it's better to go along with the stream rather than go against it, it would seem. Please take of things until I return from my visit to Privet Drive." He made a quick mental note to thank her later.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you,** _ **Accidentally Targaryen.**_ **Your help has improved the quality of this chapter.**

Everything had gone wrong, his plans fell apart. The boy, he needed the damn boy. He stalked through the hallways, searching for his target. He wasn't at his dorms, his friends didn't know where he was and outright asking the other students would be too suspicious. That's when he heard them talking, Dumbledore and McGonagall. He learned the boy was at the Medical Wing. Perfect. Dumbledore left for the boy's family whilst McGonagall would be preoccupied at the Ministry.

A headache reminded him of the task at hand. He had gone down to find the stone. All those stupid little puzzles were nothing. But he couldn't find the stone. The Mirror of Erised only showed him what he wanted to see, but that was pointless. Without the stone his Master's plans wouldn't succeed. "Let's go." He quietly snuck into the Medical Wing and looked carefully around each bed until he found his target.

A quick move of the wand and the boy quietly floated behind him. He made sure to cast a spell so he wouldn't wake up during the journey either. That would ruin things as well. It wasn't so hard to get past by those little tricks a second time. Though it was a bit more troublesome now that he had to ensure the safety of someone else. At least, until he got what he wanted. Then he'd kill the boy as painfully as possible.

* * *

The first thing he had noticed was the cold floor underneath him instead of the warm bed. The second was the cold air. He opened his eyes and looked around. Wherever he was, this wasn't the Medical Wing anymore and none of the professors were present either. But he still called out for them, more like an automatic mechanism rather than a rational decision. He knew that he would get no response, but it still bugged him more than he'd like.

"So, you're finally awake." That sneer caught his attention. Truth be told, he expected Professor Snape to stand there, but instead it was Professor Quirrell. However, the friendly smile on his face wasn't anywhere to be found. Only a foul and hostile sneer could be seen. "Professor Quirrell? Where are we? And why am I here?" In response Quirrell only laughed. "I have need of you, something very important."

He only nodded in response. It was weird how the professor acted, but if he could help he wanted to give it his best. "What can I do to help you sir?" For a moment that sneer betrayed a hint of guilt, but it was only for the briefest of seconds. He grabbed his arm and dragged him forcefully to a large mirror in an open clearing. "The Mirror of Erised." Professor Dumbledore warned him about this mirror, told him men had gone mad in front of it." He looked slightly alarmed at Quirrell. "Professor, what is it that you want me to do?"

Quirrell walked around annoyed. Perhaps he was asking too many questions. "I need the Philosopher's Stone Potter. For some reason it has something to do with this mirror and… you." He pushed the boy in front of the mirror and for a few awkward seconds nothing happened. Until he looked in the mirror and saw his reflection blinking. The reflection put a small stone in his pocket and smiled.

Instinctively he put his own hand in his pocket and felt a stone, but also a strong desire not to give the stone to Quirrell. "Professor, I… I'm not sure what to do." He turned around to look at Quirrell again. "I can only see my parents standing beside me." Quirrell growled and pushed him away from the mirror, desperately trying to find something. "The boy is lying." A raspy voice that appeared from Quirrell's direction spoke, but wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Show me to him." Quirrell stuttered and mumbled a bit, but it seemed that whatever it was, it terrified the man. The professor turned around and started undoing his turban. His scar became painful, a throbbing agonizing feeling spreading through his head. He had only felt this once, back during the opening ceremony. "Harry Potter" the raspy voice continued to speak. "We meet again." The pain was overwhelming him with each word spoken.

"Voldemort" he gasped with great difficulty. The face seemed to chuckle. "Yes. You see what I've become. See what I must do to survive. Live of another, a mere parasite" Voldemort spat out with disgust. "There are ways to sustain me, but they can't give me a body of its own. But there is something that can. Something that can bring me enough energy." He glared at him, his eyes aiming the boy's pocket. "Something that is in your pocket."

He turned around and tried to walk away, but a rope wrapped itself around his legs. "Don't be a fool. Why suffer horrific death when you can join me and live." Voldemort used Quirrel's body to approach him. "Tell me Harry, wouldn't you like to be with your parents again? Together, it's possible to bring them back." He gasped. He'd do anything to get his parents back or so he thought, but siding with someone evil.

"No, I'll never help someone so evil." Voldemort only laughed, mocking the young boy. "Evil? There is no such thing as good or evil Harry. There is only power and those too weak to seek it." He raised his hand. "Together we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone!" He had to admit that offer sounded tempting. And there was something in what he said, about power, which he had to agree with.

If he had more power he wouldn't have been at the mercy of his enemy here. "No, I will not join you. You are right about power, but I think you're wrong." He spoke defiantly, for once standing up clearly for what he believed it. "Then let's see that resolve of yours as your body crumbles. CRUCIO!" A red light bolted to his body and before he knew it he fell to the floor screaming and yelling from the excruciating pain in his body.

"This Harry. This is power." Voldemort approached him and stuck out his hand to grab the stone when a white bolt broke the stone into pieces. Angered and confused, the dark wizard looked around until he finally saw the source. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that Tom." Voldemort sneered at the source of defiance. "You." Whatever happened, Harry didn't notice it. The pain that went through his body made him lose consciousness.

* * *

"Harry, are you absolutely certain you're doing fine?" Madam Pomfrey meant well, but he was more than eager to get out of his bed and get back. It was only after Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall urged her that Harry needed the social interaction with his peers that she was willing to let him go. "Not many people experience the Cruciatus curse and walk away, especially at your age. If anything feels wrong, anything at all, I want you to notify a professor and come here instantly, got it?"

He nodded firmly. Disobeying a command like that would've gotten him another few days in the Medical Ward and the last year, he'd seen that part of the school plenty of times. He followed Professor McGonagall to the main hall where the professors had already begun their speeches for the end of the year. He looked around, but he didn't really have a lot of friends. Even at his own table he felt isolated. People moved over when he sat down between them. Some even asked how he was doing just to be polite.

The only friend he really had was Hagrid. The man who took him away from the Dursleys and showed him this magical world. Though after everything that happened, it wasn't as great and fantastic as he once imagined. It was still far better than the live of the Dursleys, but recent events had forced him to reconsider his position. He couldn't forget Voldemort's words about power either. They were something that stuck with him.

He didn't want to become evil to get more powerful, but he did want to have more power. So he'd never have to go through that pain again. He quickly glanced at Hagrid. He'd make sure that he would be able to protect his friends if it was ever needed. He sighed and lowered his eyes to the table again. Slytherin had won this house cup, even when Professor Dumbledore suddenly stood up and credited Harry with 60 points for outstanding bravery.

He smiled out of gratitude, but in the end the cup still wasn't theirs. He'd go back to the Dursleys this year and he'd most likely be restricted from doing anything that involved magic, but he would take the time to study his books, down to every letter. He'd get more power and he'd protect the people he loved. No matter how few those were.

 **A/N: I quickly wanted to get past the first year. During the second year the real changes start coming. Anyways, hope you had fun reading so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you** _Accidentally Targaryen_ **for your continued support to ensure the quality of this story.**

Power would make things possible. It would allow the strong to triumph over their opponents and give the means to protect the weak. The most important thing he learned from his year at Hogwarts was that he lacked power. He saw that girl get crushed in front of his eyes. His broom threw him off and he was tortured with like some plaything by Voldemort. Every time it had taken someone else to save him from danger.

That wasn't an option. There wouldn't be someone there to save him every time his life was in peril. He needed to learn how to defend himself and the means offered at Hogwarts were too little. Alternatives were required to grow, but who could possibly help a young wizard like himself. He didn't despair though. His parents left him a sizable sum of money to spend. Even if he had only gotten a trust fund, it would be more than enough.

The Dursleys had all but left him to himself this vacation. Yet whenever he tried to get out to go somewhere, they stopped him for some reason. They didn't seem to understand what kind of threats were waiting out there. He knew Voldemort would be there, ready to kill him whenever possible. Yet he was powerless again. The Dursleys seemed to have gotten a bit friendlier than before. They gave him three meals a day, his own room and even proper clothing.

The beatings stopped as well, but they still expected him to do everything around the household and were in no way eager to let him go back to the Wizarding world. That was something he simply couldn't accept. The last three weeks he had managed to acquire enough money to buy a ticket through several odds and ends. And upcoming Saturday he would take the bus to London. A visit to Diagon Alley and its shops would be necessary.

* * *

It was still early in the morning. The sun wasn't even in the sky properly and yet he knew that this was the best time to bail out. With some luck he could be back that evening with a good excuse as to why he was gone. If they did discover they might revert to some of their old habits, but it would be worth it. There were several things he needed to get. The most important things would be books as he would be reading a lot.

He leaped out of his window into the bushes. They worked pretty well as a cushion to break his fall, though it wasn't comfortable. He snuck away towards the second closest bus stop. It would be smarter not to be present at the closest one if they found out he was gone. The bus arrived in after five minutes and he got in. The fare wasn't that expensive, but he wasn't rich either. At least, not with Muggle money.

* * *

This was the first time he was here without Hagrid. It was a bit overwhelming. He tried his best not to show it, but he was only 12. That excused the nerve on his face though. The three book stores present gave him a wide range of choices. Flourish and Blotts allowed him to get his school books a bit earlier than usual. Obscurus Books had some fascinating books about all sorts of animals, magical properties and even some spells involving animals.

Whizz Hard Books showed him a range of books concerning Quidditch, several diseases like lycanthropy and several potion recipes. Through these stores he had gotten books about potions, spells, cures for curses and magical defenses. Yet he didn't find what he had needed. That was when his eyes were lured to a little dark spot in Diagon Alley. He had heard about Knockturn Alley, how it was used by dark wizards. Yet he felt indifferent to those rumours.

If he wanted to get stronger he couldn't let rumours scare him off. He couldn't allow fear to control him. With careful steps he went into the alley. The wizards there were different. Some stared at him, others ignored him. Nobody seemed to make a move however. They felt that a single moment of negligence would be all the others needed to take them down. They had more concerns about each other than they did about the boy and that suited him just fine. Their attention wasn't something he needed or wanted.

Borgin and Burkes had various dark artifacts for sale, but his interests were mostly in the books. The owner wasn't cooperating at first, but after showing him a handful of Galleons his demeanor changed. Even if he wouldn't use the knowledge inside these books himself, the mere ability to recognize them during battle could save his life one day. The shopkeeper of Cobb & Webbs refused to let him buy anything though, even after showing her that he could purchase anything.

There were a few smaller shops that didn't stand out as much as the bigger ones. Perhaps it was because of that, that he had managed to find so many books that really caught his interest. One of the shop owners told him that the books weren't necessarily dark, but they weren't light either. It was more a gray matter than anything. "Remember, magic and its affiliation completely depend on the purpose you use it for."

It was a thought he had explored recently too. From his studies so far, the three Unforgivable Curses were the killing curse, the Cruciatus curse and the Imperius curse. Yet the killing curse seemed to be the least terrible, even if it was used to kill his parents. When he first explored those thoughts they shocked him a bit, but he was reading up on topics that greatly influenced him. The killing curse killed its victims instantly in a painless way.

Wouldn't it be worse if the victim died a slow and horrible death? He had the mark of the killing curse on his forehead, but he experienced the Cruciatus curse himself. If anything, that was far more painful than anything he had ever endured. Something he never wanted to experience again. When he got a suitcase full of books he looked around a bit more. He didn't buy any of the other supplies for the upcoming year yet.

It would already be a hazard to get back home with this suitcase, but he'd manage. He left Diagon Alley and went back to the Muggle side. He took longer than he expected, so he rushed over to the bus and hoped that he got home as soon as possible. He snuck around the house. With some effort he managed to get the suitcase to his room and himself as well. Lady luck really was on his side this time and he was extremely grateful. Now there was a lot of reading to be done.

* * *

A few more weeks passed and he had gained so much more insight than he ever could've imagined. He had learned of spells that would make even the older students envious. The only problem was that he couldn't practice them. Using magic in public could create all sorts of problems and he had seen enough in his books about underage spellcasting. The consequences that usually followed afterwards weren't that great either.

When he got back at Hogwarts he would have plenty of opportunities to practice them, though he would be smart to stay out of sight when practicing certain spells. As far as the world would be concerned, he was only a second year student who was still learning the ropes. He knew that he was more, now and in the future. With determination in his eyes he stared out the window. Voldemort was going down, by his hands.

He'd have the power to stop his enemies and protect the innocent. To do that he would make use of anything he could. Either way, staring out the window and making promises wouldn't do much at the moment so he went back to reading again. Whatever happened, happened. Besides, he got attacked by Voldemort himself last year and suffered through the Cruciatus curse. What's the worst that could possibly happen this year?


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you _Accidentally Targaryen_** **for helping me improve the chapter. Some pretty awful mistakes were prevented!**

* * *

Within a few days Harry's new school year would start. Despite the improved living conditions with the Dursleys he still desired to get away from there. A few weeks of improved behaviour wouldn't just make him forget everything he had to go through the years before. When he came down the stairs he was immediately greeted by the smell of fresh toast and orange juice. When he entered the kitchen he even got some. This would've been impossible a year ago.

Despite a pleasant morning the rest of the day became more troublesome when Harry mentioned his upcoming school year at Hogwarts. For some reason uncle Vernon was doing everything in his power to stop him from going to Hogwarts this year, despite his seemingly improved behavior these last months. No matter what arguments he offered,, uncle Vernon simply refused to listen to them and demanded he obeyed him.

It wasn't until the next morning that Harry was able to escape from the house. Uncle Vernon wouldn't be happy, but he had to get out of there. He relied on standard Muggle transport again to get to his location and made his way to Diagon Alley to pick up the last supplies he ignored the last time. It wouldn't be a very sound plan to just march into Hogwarts without all the needed supplies after all. When he walked into Diagon Alley he felt at ease again.

He met the Weasley family near Flourish and Blotts and much to his dismay, a man that would cause him a lot of annoyances this school year. Gilderoy Lockhart. At first he seemed insignificant to him because he was simply some famous author. He wasn't too familiar with the celebrities of the magical world. Luck wasn't on his side, however. It seemed Lockhart was all too familiar with Harry's famous reputation in the wizarding world.

When their eyes crossed the man bellowed with a big smile. "It can't be. Harry Potter!" The mere mention of his name was enough for a short photographer to grab him and drag him to the front where Lockhart placed his arm around him. That was enough for Harry to dislike him. "Nice big smile Harry. Together you and I are worth the front page!" When the little show ended he tried to get away, but Lockhart held him in position with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is. When young Harry Potter marched in here to buy my book Magical Me, he did not expect to walk out here with my entire collection." He handed over a large collection of books as pompous as could be expected. "Free of charge!" When Lockhart was busy soaking in all the attention, he made his way over to the exit in an attempt to get away. From the crowds and most of all, Lockhart.

Before he could exit the store he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked around he saw a woman smiling gently at him. "Harry, how nice to finally meet you!" Whoever this woman was, her over familiar behaviour was smothering. Some of the other Weasleys surrounded them. "Mom, please let him go." One of the older brothers, Percy, was asking their mother to show some discretion. Percy's comment made her fluster, but she kept smiling as she left to get her children's books signed.

"Sorry about my mother. She tends to get over excited in the worst possible places." Percy seemed to talk about her with a hint of loathing and embarrassment in his voice. "It's okay, she wasn't really bothering me." Percy snorted with disapproval and left the conversation. Whatever issues the Weasleys had inside their family, it wasn't any of Harry's business. He left the family behind and exited the store.

* * *

With all of the required supplies with him, he left towards the station. It was always nice to see people didn't really look up when young children filled with all sorts of unusual things in carts were wandering the streets. He arrived at station 9 ¾ and managed to get through. There were a lot of children everywhere with their parents. It was only for a moment, but he'd give anything to have his parents with him.

Shrugging it off, he placed most of his luggage in the train, but kept a book with him. He hid it underneath his coat to prevent anyone from seeing it. There was a good chance that the title alone would draw some attention that he really wouldn't want. He took another look around and saw the Weasleys running in at the last moment. It was slightly amusing to see. With a smile Harry moved on to the private cabins.

Once inside he pulled out the large book from underneath his coat that he had wanted to read. It was about spells concerning the mind and how to manipulate it. In the right ways the implications could be amazing and in the wrong ways they could be terrible. Yet it was still worth reading. There was a few particular spells that caught his attention. The first was the spell "Animi Phantasia". It allowed the user to directly influence the fantasy in their own mind.

The spell would be followed up by "Confictura Fabrico", which allowed them to create the things from their imagination at the cost of their lifeforce. The user would have to offer up sizable amounts of their own blood to provide any form of structure in whatever they summon. Together with their magical power they could gave form to whatever it is that they'd attempt to summon. It was a very advanced spell that could be lethal for amateurs, but it's potential was amazing.

Another spell that was fascinating spell was "Luce Mentis". The idea behind it was simple, but under the right circumstances it would prove to be a great defensive measure. The books mentioned that even the most advanced users of Occlumency could be broken, but Luce Mentis would allow the user to spawn an extremely bright mental flash. This would in turn blind the assaulting legilimens, giving the defensive party a few precious moments to defend himself.

He would definitely have to try this out at school once he was there. Another incident like the one with Voldemort last year could be prevented. Whilst he was busy reading, some students occasionally popped up to ask if they could join, but he refused them. They would only serve to distract from his reading and there was simply too much to gain. Nothing would distract him from his reading until the train arrived.

That was what he thought until he heard a small pop in his cabin. Looking up he saw a scrawny little creature stand in front of him. He quickly realized what it was. "You're a house elf, aren't you?" The house elf nodded furiously. "Dobby wanted to stop Harry Potter from going to Hogwarts. Terrible danger awaits Harry Potter at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. Dobby knows of a plot to make most terrible things happen."

He remembered from what he read about house elves that showing them too much hospitality would make them behavior erratic. "Alright eh, Dobby?" The house elf perked up at hearing his name. "Can you perhaps tell me what this terrible plot is?" Dobby started panicking at the question and he quickly realized that he already made a mistake. "Alright Dobby, I order you to calm down and not to answer that question."

Dobby quickly calmed down and seemingly smiled. "Thank you Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is very grateful that you understand." He was still recollecting his thoughts. It seemed that last year's confrontation with Voldemort wasn't the only problem at Hogwarts. "Dobby, I am sure that you understand what I'm about to say. I have to return to Hogwarts this year." The elf quickly stammered with all sorts of reasons not to go.

"Uncle Vernon tried to stop me too, but I have to go to!" He raised his voice by accident. "I want you to realize that if I don't go to Hogwarts this year I'll grow weaker. If I grow weaker and this plot succeeds, then the people responsible will hunt me down. How can I defend myself against them if I grow weaker? By not allowing me to go to Hogwarts, you could very well end up killing me yourself." Dobby looked shocked as he was trying to process everything Harry said.

"No, Dobby wants to protect Harry Potter." He started to panic, but Harry sighed frustrated. "Listen, you are most likely here without permission, am I right?" Dobby nervously nodded. "Won't you be punished for just being here? Why take such a risk?" Dobby kept muttering words like protection, but Harry didn't understand. "Dobby, why are you here? You can't tell me what this plot is. I can respect that, but I will go to Hogwarts this year."

"No, Harry Potter must not go to Hogwarts. Harry Potter must turn around now and go home. Then he will be safe!" This was starting to frustrate him more than he wanted. Just like Uncle Vernon this house elf simply refused to listen to any reason he could give. "Dobby, enough. Leave please." The elf looked saddened by the request, but finally relented. "Harry Potter will see. Dobby only wants to protect Harry Potter." With a snap of his fingers the house elf vanished. Harry hoped this would be the last time they'd meet.

* * *

The Great Hall was as lively as it always was. Young children bustled around, new students marched in nervously and the teachers were all sitting at their table. He didn't take notice of it at first, but he saw a distance between himself and the other students. He felt isolated. This was his own fault of course. Last year he had all but rejected most attempts to become friends. It was said that those at the top would be lonely. Was this the price of his quest for power?

The new students marched in a pretty line and were all sorted by the hat. One of the new students skipped merrily to her table. Once she sat down she looked around and when their eyes met, she waved with a smile. Whoever she was, Harry had the feeling that he'd find out eventually. A crazy house elf and a weird first year student. Guess this could be an interesting first year after all.


End file.
